VOA: U.S. economy adding jobs, employers say skills gap is rising.

December 18, 2017 Jim Stroud

With both consumer confidence and business investment on the upswing, the U.S. economy continues to grow at a faster than expected rate. A substantial number of new jobs were created in November; but there were not necessarily enough qualified applicants to fill those openings.

“New technology means new types of jobs,” said Jim Stroud, global head of sourcing and recruiting strategy for the Randstad Sourceright Talent Innovation Center. “But there aren’t a lot of people who can do those jobs. Thus, the talent scarcity. The more you are willing to learn, the more marketable you will be.”

The skills gap isn’t the only thing to consider. Job seekers also need to become more flexible and comfortable with a changing labor market. In fact, Randstad Sourceright’s 2017 Talent Trends research indicates that more than 60% of companies plan to replace up to one-third of permanent staff positions with freelancers or independent contractors.

Watch this two-minute clip for additional insights, then download Talent Trends Quarterly | Q4 2017: accelerating business agility with an integrated talent model for the latest information on integrated talent models, smart workforce strategies and more.

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